Rideout Health Announces Casting Call for Actors and Technicians for Yuba-Sutter Based Touring Health Outreach Production

Oct 2, 2014 Rideout Press Releases

Rideout Health and director Paul DeMeritt announce auditions for actors/actresses and technician interviews for their regional touring live musical theatre production of "Rideout Healthy Kids Assemblies: Live Well!" an original 45 minute musical performed by 3 adult actors, designed to teach Yuba-Sutter elementary and middle school students the
"8 Healthy Habits" of successful and happy living.

Rideout Healthy Kids Assemblies were a huge hit with Yuba-Sutter elementary and middle school students, teachers and administrators in their premiere season this past spring; the RHK team performed in over 40 area schools and brought their message of healthy living and habits to over 8,000 Yuba-Sutter young people and their families. Teachers were able to follow up with classroom lesson plans and materials and each student received a "Healthy Habits Checklist" enabling the student and their family to chart their healthy habit choices. Area administrators and teachers responded enthusiastically to the premiere tour, with comments including:

"The performance was fabulous. The presenters are very high energy and our students loved that they got to participate in part of it. Thanks so much for having us on your tour schedule!"

"The performance was wonderful! Kids were highly entertained and informed about making healthy choices in their everyday lives. We will continue to make good choices in making our '8 healthy choices' throughout the year!"

As the RHK team approaches their Fall 2014 season, opportunities exist for at least one new actor/actress and technician to join the troupe. Director DeMeritt states "This is a unique opportunity for regional performers and technicians; our area is rich with great opportunities to perform and create technical theatre on a volunteer basis, but it's rare for our local artists to have an opportunity to perform and get paid a good wage for their talent. I'm very grateful and proud of Rideout Health for their vision and willingness both to support local artists and to bring a vital message of good health to local students and families."

DeMeritt stresses that actors must be able to sing, dance, act AND must enjoy performing for and interacting with children from kindergarten through 8th grade. "Children's theatre is challenging and holding kid's attention for 45 minutes means the performers definitely need to be high energy." In addition to performance skills, actors and technicians will be expected to be friendly, positive, outgoing, able to serve in a public relations role and to be a positive role model for children. Technicians will need to be capable of setting up and operating a state of the art sound system and will also be expected to have the same type of energy and enthusiasm for children's theatre that actors will need. Rehearsals will take place in late August; approximately 20 performances will take place from mid-September through early November for the fall tour and the Rideout Healthy Kids Assemblies are slated to run through at least 2016.

Audition and interview appointments for the week of August 18-22 are available by contacting DeMeritt. Actors and technicians will need to provide resumes and references; in addition, actors and actresses need to provide a current headshot or similar photo, be 18- 30+ years of age, generally physically fit and be prepared to sing , dance and present cold readings from the RHK Assembly script.

For more information, contact Paul DeMeritt, Rideout Healthy Kids director at 530-713-4793 or by email at demeritt@fcs-k12.org.

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Rideout Health is the independent, non-profit, community-based healthcare organization that operates Rideout Memorial Hospital, Fremont Medical Center, the Rideout Cancer Center and other medical facilities around the Yuba-Sutter region. It also is the area's largest non-government employer. In fulfillment of its mission to provide quality healthcare to everyone, regardless of financial circumstance, in recent years the organization provided about $50 million annually in unreimbursed or free medical care to uninsured or under-insured patients. RideoutHealth.org